Tire-reinforcing fabric and method of making same.



G. ZEGLEN. TIRE REINFOROING FABRIG AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1909 iii 000000 000000 00 0 0 0 0.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO To all whom it may concern:

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GASIMIR ZEGLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 CHARLES A. DANIEL, OF

' 'P HILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TIRE-REINFORCING FABRIC AN'D' METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

Be it known that I, CAsIMrR ZEGLEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tire-Reinforcing Fabric and Methods of Making the Same; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates toa novel multi-ply fabric strip having stepped or'oifset marginal parts adapted to be joined in matched relation to another stepped marginal part of the same or another strlp to produce a compact joint between the matched marginal parts no thicker than the body of the fabric at the sides of the joint; to a novel woven 'mult-i-ply fabric web embracing a plurality of such strips and from which the individual strips are produced, and to a novel process of producing said strip and said web.

One of the objects'of the invention is to provide means for joining inoverlapping relation the margins of a strip or strips of a multi-ply fabric in such manner as to avoid an objectionable thickness or fullness at the joint between the overlapped margins, while maintaining the full strength and thickness of the fabric atvthe joint. duce this result I propose to so weave the marginal parts of the fabric strip or strips to be thus joined as to produce in theoverlapping portions thereof a series of finished or woven steps or offsets of varying or decreasing thickness from the inner to the outer or terminal parts of the overlapping portions, which steps or offsets are separated by shoulders. The stepped margins are so,

matched that when brought together in over-' lapping relation each step of each overlapping margin will lie over and be attached to another step of the other overlapping margin of such thickness that each two overlying steps will together be equal in thickness to that of the main body of the fabric at the sides of the joint. All of the steps arethus matched and produce an overlapping joint which is uniformin thickness throughout v the overlapping joint and of the same thick-,

In order to prof Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 29, 1910. Application filed July 2, 19091 Serial No. 505,579.

tion in the body of the fabric and being separated or split from each other,'e xcept at the lateral sides of the steps or at theshoulders between the steps of different thicknesses. The web .thus woven is divided into the shorter strips or sections by cutting the strands which bind the overlapping stepped portions at the lateral sides of the steps, thus leaving the stepped portions in.

readiness to be matched to mating stepped portions. I

My invention is adaptable for use in a variety of instances where it is desired to.

join two overlapping strips of fabric or two margins of the same strip in overlapped relation. For instance, the invention is especially adaptable for joining the ends of the reinforcing woven fabric strip, such as is used in the tire shown in my priorUnited States Letters Patent Number 876,616 issued on the 14th day of January 1908. The character of theweave of the fabric shown in said patent renders it peculiarly adaptable for producingthe finished steps or offsets in the overlapping margins of the strip, as will hereinafter more fully appear. In this use of the invention, the-ends ofthe fabric strip which constitutes the reinforcing member of the tire are joined without producing an objectionable thickness or full ness on the tread of the tire at the point of joining, and without the necessity of cutting the meeting ends of the fabric to produce' a scarf joint. Furthermore a joint formed in the reinforcing web or fabric at the tread of the tire in accordance with my invention produces a connection which does not in any manner weaken or impair the reinforcing function of-the fabric. Moreover the improved joint or connection may be used to join the two ends of a fabric strip to produce a belt or like continuous web for a variety of purposes or to join two such strips end to end. 7

As shown in the'clrawings, Figure l is a side view, broken away, of a woven fabric web, made up of a plurality of integrally woven strips, each having at its end a lapping portion embracing'a series of varied thickness steps. Fig. 2 is a side view, broken away, of a strip cut from the web shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of'the stepped ends of the strip shown in Fig.2. Fig. 4. is a cross section of a vehicle wheel tire, showing one manner of applying there to a reinforcing fabric embodying my in venti 'n. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a tire tread, showing the overlapping matched ends of a reinforcing fabric. Fig. (3 is an enlarged sectional view of a multi-ply fabric, showing the manner of weaving the steps in the body of the fabric.

In said drawings A designates a strip of wovenfabric, which may be made of any desired length and width, and A, A. designate the end margins of the strip which are adapted to be placed together in overlapping.

relation in the manner shown in Fig. i to produce from the continuous strip an endless web. a, a, a a a a a (if. designate the stepped or offset portions of the overlapping ends, there being four of such steppedor offset portions at each end'of thestrip. A greater or less number of steps or offsets may be provided as desired. The said steps or offsets extend transversely across the overlapping, ends of the strip and are of varying thickness from the inner to the outer ends or terminals of the overlapping end portions, the terminal steps a (L7 being made thinnest, and the steps increasing in thickness from said terminal steps to the inner or thickest steps a, a adjacent to the main body portion of the strip. The series of steps at one end of the strip are formed on the upper side of the strip while those at the other end of the strip are formed on the lowerside thereof. Thus when the ends of the strip are brought together in overlapping relation, as shown in Fig. 5, the thinnest or terminal stepsa M, will lie one over and the other beneath the thickest inner steps a, a, while the intermediate steps a, a at one end of the strip will match with the similar intermediate steps a a of the other end of the strip. Each two steps or ofisets thus brought together at the overlapping ends of the strip are of a combined thickness equal to that of the body of the strip, as plainly shown in Fig. 5. Between each two adjacent steps or offsets is formed an abrupt shoulder a and when the overlapping parts are brought together in the man: ner shown in Fig. 5 the said shoulders are placed in close abutting relation so that the fabric is continuous or uninterrupted thickness.

eraser throughout the overlapping parts of the strip. The overhanging parts of the strip may be secured together by lines of stitches a which may be arranged transversely of the strip or otherwise. As herein*shown, and as preferably arranged, two lines of stitches will be placed closely'adjacent to the abutting shoulders a The several steps are each formed with a finished weave at their upper and lower sides and possess, therefore, the same firmness of texture as do the other parts of the fabric. I

In accordance with one feature of my invention a number of the strips A, with their stepped or offset overlapping ends, are woven as integral or continuous parts of a multi-ply fabric web A as shown in Figs.

'1 and 6, and the stepped oroflset parts a to a", inclusive, are finished or completed by a special mode of weaving in the body of the fabric in superposed or overlying relation, the steps being split or separated from each other and the upper and lower steps being separately, but simultaneously woven and finished in the same general matched relation as when the two overlapped ends of 'a strip are secured together. The web is separate'd at these points to produce the individual strips A and the upper and lower ofiset portions at each point of separation belong to two adjacent strips.

The manner in which the separate, finished I steps are formed in the body of the fabric.

is most clearly shown in Fig. 6, the fabric being like that illustrated in my aforesaid prior United States Letters Patent, No. 876,616. The character of the weave of this fabric lends itself with peculiar adaptability to the formation of the ofisets or steps, and is, for this reason, preferred. It will be understood however that theinvention, in its broader phase is not limited to any particu-" lar weave. The fabric'therein shown is a multi-ply fabric, it consisting of a series of superposed weft or filling threads a and a plurality of warp threads a, which latter are interlaced with the filling threads in such manner that all of said warp threads extend entirely through the fabric from the upper to the lower sides thereof to bind the filling threads in a compact mass of single.

The arrangement is such as to make it practicable to weave complemental or offset steps simultaneously, each step being independently woven during the simultaneous, independent .weaving of a complemental step.

In weaving the main body of the fabric the shuttle controlling mechanism of the loom may be so adjusted with respect to the harness controlling mechanism that the filling or weft threads maybe woven in the fabric by the use of a single shuttle, the shuttle being thrown for each set of filling threads a number of times, in each cycle of operation of the harness,

equal to the number of plies of the fabric. Two shuttles alternately thrown may also be employed. For forming .the several steps-or offsets in the web A at the places where the steps occur two shuttles and two shuttle boxes may be employed, one shuttle for throwing the filling threads through the sheds of the warp threads of the lower steps of the web and the. other shuttle for throwing" the filling threads through the sheds of the warp threads of the upper steps or offsets of the web which are simultaneously woven; and the shuttle and harness controlling mechanisms will be changed or adjusted for each two simultaneously woven steps or offsets to properly control the throw of the shuttles and the dropping of the set of warp threads for each palr of complemental steps or offsets to correspond with the number of plies therein. For instance in weaving the stepped portions in the fabric shown, the controlling mechanisms for the shuttles may be adjusted to throw the shuttle through the sheds formed between the, alternately raised and lowered sets of warp threads of the single ply step a or a at least once for each four throws of the shuttle through the sheds formed between the warp threads of the, other four plies of the thickest step a or a*. After .the thinnest or single ply step at the lower side of the fabric, and the complemental four ply step at the upper side of the fabric has been thus formed, the shuttle and harness controlling mechanisms are adjusted or-l ch'anged so as to drop one more set of the warp threads from'the upper side of the fabric to the lower side thereof to weave the two ply step or offset a at the lower side of the fabric and simultaneously weave the three ply step or ofi'seta at the upperside of the fabric. After the two ply step or offset a andthe complemental three ply step or offset a has been completed another change of the shuttle and harness controlling mechanisms will be made to drop one more set of warp threads from .t he upper to the lower sideof the fabric to weave the three ply step or oflset. a on the lower side of the fabric and simultaneously weave the two ply step or offset a at the upper side of the fabric. Finally after the completion of the three ply-step a at the lower-side of the fabric and the two ply step at the upper side of the fabric another change or adjustment of the shuttle andharness controlling mechanisms is made to weave the lower side of the fabric the four ply offset or stop a and to simultaneously weave therewithbn the upper side of the fabric thesingle ply step or offset a. Thereafter the shuttle and harness controlling mechanisms are changed or adjusted to weave the sin le; thickness body of the fabric, and in the atter adjustment the shuttle controlling mechanism may.

larly woven into the stepped be adjusted to operate but a single shuttle during the subsequentfweaving of the single thickness fabric, or two shuttles alternately.

At the changesfrom a "thinner step to the next thicker steps the warp threads will fabric at each change from a thinner to a ending, respectively, .of the single ply lower and upper steps a and a the warp threads of said single ply steps are carried into the body bf the single thickness fabric as indicated at a; Between'the parts a a of the warp threads thus carried over from one side of the fabric to the other the woven steps are split'or separated from each other, each step being separately woven, as before stated. After the separately woven steps have thus been formed one strip may be disconnecte or separated from the other by cutting the warp threads at the points a, a, such points occurring at the shoulders a as before referred to. Stated in another way, the web may be said to be woven in a manner to provide at predetermined interthicker step. Likewise at-the beginning and vals in its length a plurality of pockets arranged in sets with the pockets of each set arranged in different lanes, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 6, which planes may be termed weft planes) so as to produce at the upper and lower sides of the pockets the steps of different thickness. The warp threads are cut at the sides of these pockets to'produce the individual strips havingfthe stepped or offset margins.

In some instances it is desirable to stitch the stepped portions of the fabric near the shoulders, as indicated at a, Figs. 2 and 3, to avoid tendency of the fabric raveling at the places where the'strands a, a are severed to produce the stepped end strips.

It will be understood that the fabric may a plies and a correspondingly greater or less number of steps or offsets, Moreover in some instances the main: body of the fabric may be woven'with a greater number of full regularly formed plies than at the stepped lapping margin thereof, in which latter event-the extra warp thread may be irreguthat it 'will not appear as a ful regularly disposed ply. Moreover but one set of warp threads, may be dropped from the fabric at the beginning of the weaving of the thinnest step, "the single set of warp threads being divided to produce an ordinarycotton weave as in the construction described but w th a lighter warp. The character of the ortions so weave of the two and more plies is that of a twill weave as the fabric shown is woven.

When the fabric herein described is em-.

ployed as the reinforcing fabric of a tire it may be laid between the inner tube B of the tire and the sheath or shoe .13 thereof as shown in my aforesaid patent, or may be otherwise disposed in the tire in a manner to reinforce the. same against puncture or explosion. o

I claim as my invention:

1. A multi-ply fabric strip for tire reinforcement and the like, comprising a compactly woven body having at its end margins steps or offsets of graduated thickness, the fabric body consisting of superposed filling threads and warp threads laced through the filling threads from one side of the fabric tothe other, said steps or offsets being woven finished during the weaving of the fabric by displacement of the filling and warp threads.

2. A multi-ply fabric strip for tire reinforcement and the like, comprising a compactly woven body having uniform filling threads and having at its end marginssteps or offsets of graduated thickness, said steps or offsets beingv woven finished by displacement of the filling and warp threads during the weaving of the fabric and the steps having the same compact finished texture as the body of the fabric.

3. A woven multi-ply fabric web for the purpose set forth, provided at predeter mined intervals along its length with sets of pockets, with the pockets of each set arranged in different weft planes to produce at said pockets matched offsets or steps.

4. A woven multi-ply fabric web which is designed to be separated into a plurality of strips having steps or offsets woven in the ends thereof to form lapping end margins, the said steps of the margins being woven in the body of the web, with the stepped margin of one strip overlying in matched relation to, and split or separated from the stepped margin of an adjacent strip.

5. A woven multily fabric web comprising superposed filling threads and warp threads all of which are interlaced through the filling threads from the upper to the lower side of the fabric, and which is de signed to be separated into a plurality of strips having stepped or offsetlapping end portions, the steps of each end portioncomprising varying numbers of plies, said steps being woven in the body ofthe fabric Web with the steps of each strip woven in overlying matched relation to the steps of an adjacent strip, and with the warp threads carried from one of said lapping portions to the other at the sides of said steps.

margins with steps or offsets of graduated thickness, which consists in weaving a fabric with superposed filling or weft threads, lacing all of the warp threads entirely through the fabric from one side thereof to the other, and weaving finished compactly woven steps in the fabric of graduated thickness during the weaving of the fabric, with all of the warp threads of) each step laced entirely through the weft threads thereof from one side to the other to produce the same fin ished woven texture in the steps as in the main body of the strip.

7. The method of producing a plurality of woven strips having stepped marginal portions, which consists in weaving a multiply web, forming in the web at' longitudinal intervals sets of pockets, with the pockets of each set in different weft planes, and dividing said web by cutting the warp threads at the sides of said pockets.

8. The method of producing a plurality of woven strips having stepped overlap portions, which consists in weaving a continuous elongated multi-ply web, forming in the web at suitable longitudinal intervals along the same overlapping, reversely stepped, matched portions and thereafter separating the strips by cutting the'strands at said stepped portions.

9. The method of producing multi-ply fabric strips havin lapping end margins formed with finished woven steps or ofi'sets, which consists in weaving in a continuous web a plurality of such strips in end to end relation, with the stepped or offset margins woven in the body of the web by splitting or separating the piles of the web at the points of division of the stri s to form superposed, matched steps of difi erent thickness, weavroducing a compact ing each step separate from its superposed step, dropping the warp threads from the upper to the lower side of the fabric as the steps are successively formed to increase the thickness or number of plies of the steps on the lower side of the fabric, and finally cutting the warp threads on the lines at which they are dropped from the upper to the lower side of the fabric to separate or divide the web into strips.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 26th day of June A. D. 1909..

CASIMIR ZEGLEN. 

